Sunday, May 31, 2015
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Betty MacDonald and Dorita Hess
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle - and Betty MacDonald fan club fans,
Betty MacDonald fan club letter collection got a very important donation regarding Ms. Dorita Hess.
More very exciting info in next Betty MacDonald fan club newsletter.
Betty MacDonald and Mary Bard Jensen letter contest sounds like lots of fun.
More info next week.
Betty MacDonald mentions in detail the original version of The Egg and I and the differences with the final edition of her first book.
Greta and her Betty MacDonald fan club research team are working on an article for Betty MacDonald fan club newsletter June.
Don't miss our current Betty MacDonald fan club contest, please.
There are only a few hours left.
As a real Betty MacDonald fan club fan you can answer this question very easily.
In which book Betty MacDonald did describe her 'adopted' sister Madge?
In case you know the persons ( see great colour photo ) you can win a special Betty MacDonald fan club bonus item.
Send your answer please and if you are lucky enough you are our next Betty MacDonald fan club contest winner.
Deadline: May 31, 2015
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel and Betty MacDonald fan club research team are going to include all these new details and info in updated Betty MacDonald biography.
More info in Betty MacDonald fan club newsletter June.
New Betty MacDonald documentary will be very interesting with many interviews never published before.
We can't wait to read a new Mr. Tigerli story.
Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli is very popular all over the world.
One of my dreams is to meet Mr. Tigerli in person.
We adore ' Picturing Alice ' by Brad Craft.
Enjoy a sunny Sunday,
Andrea
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald forum
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and new Betty MacDonald fan club letter contest
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle - and Betty MacDonald fan club fans,
outstanding Betty MacDonald fan club!
Long live Nancy!
Betty MacDonald fan club fans from 5 continents can't wait to read the new info.
Betty MacDonald fan club letter collection includes many very important letters and documents.
We are going to have a Betty MacDonald and Mary Bard Jensen letter contest and looking for the most important and popular letters.
More info soon.
Betty MacDonald mentions in detail the original version of The Egg and I and the differences with the final edition of her first book.
Greta and her Betty MacDonald fan club research team are working on an article for Betty MacDonald fan club newsletter June.
Don't miss new Betty MacDonald fan club contest, please.
As a real Betty MacDonald fan club fan you can answer this question very easily.
In which book Betty MacDonald did describe her 'adopted' sister Madge?
In case you know the persons ( see great colour photo ) you can win a special Betty MacDonald fan club bonus item.
Send your answer please and if you are lucky enough you are our next Betty MacDonald fan club contest winner.
Deadline: May 31, 2015
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel and Betty MacDonald fan club research team are going to include all these new details and info in updated Betty MacDonald biography.
More info in Betty MacDonald fan club newsletter June.
New Betty MacDonald documentary will be very interesting with many interviews never published before.
Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli enjoys his life in Emmertsgrund.
What about a special Betty MacDonald fan club tour to visit our darling?
We adore ' Picturing Alice ' by Brad Craft.
Accordig to my opinion France, Germany, Spain and United Kingdom should leave Eurovision Song Contest.
We shouldn't tolerate these fake results any longer.
Many ESC fans including me are very angry.
Wishing you a nice Saturday,
Martine
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald forum
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and Betty MacDonald fan club letter collection
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle - and Betty MacDonald fan club fans,
these great Betty MacDonald fan club news are outstanding!
Thanks a million dearest Nancy for sharing this very important letter by Betty MacDonald.
Perhaps the most important letter by Betty MacDonald until today.
Betty MacDonald fan club letter collection got really wonderful ones.
Betty MacDonald and her sister Mary Bard Jensen had so many curious fans who wrote many letters to their beloved authors.
We are very grateful because many Betty MacDonald fan club fans share these wonderful documents.
Thanks a million guys for this!
Thanks a million for your outstanding support!
Betty MacDonald mentions in detail the original version of The Egg and I and the differences with the final edition of her first book.
Greta and her Betty MacDonald fan club research team are working on an article for Betty MacDonald fan club newsletter June.
Don't miss new Betty MacDonald fan club contest, please.
As a real Betty MacDonald fan club fan you can answer this question very easily.
In which book Betty MacDonald did describe her 'adopted' sister Madge?
In case you know the persons ( see great colour photo ) you can win a special Betty MacDonald fan club bonus item.
Send your answer please and if you are lucky enough you are our next Betty MacDonald fan club contest winner.
Deadline: May 31, 2015
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel and Betty MacDonald fan club research team are going to include all these new details and info in updated Betty MacDonald biography.
More info in Betty MacDonald fan club newsletter June.
New Betty MacDonald documentary will be very interesting with many interviews never published before.
How is Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli doing?
We miss our 'Casanova' so much.
We adore ' Picturing Alice ' by Brad Craft.
Take care,
Anita and Eartha Kitt II
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald forum
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Betty MacDonald and the original version of The Egg and I
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and Betty MacDonald fan club fans,
great Betty MacDonald fan club news.
A Betty MacDonald fan club fan from Canada is going to share a very important letter by Betty MacDonald.
Betty MacDonald mentions in detail the original version of The Egg and I and the differences with the final edition of her first book.
Greta and her Betty MacDonald fan club research team are working on an article for Betty MacDonald fan club newsletter June.
Don't miss new Betty MacDonald fan club contest, please.
As a real Betty MacDonald fan club fan you can answer this question very easily.
In which book Betty MacDonald did describe her 'adopted' sister Madge?
In case you know the persons ( see great colour photo ) you can win a special Betty MacDonald fan club bonus item.
Send your answer please and if you are lucky enough you are our next Betty MacDonald fan club contest winner.
Deadline: May 31, 2015
Imagine to read the exciting experiences of Betty MacDonald and Claudette Colbert in Hollywood.
There is also a letter by Betty MacDonald's sister unique sister Mary Bard Jensen with some very witty thoughts and comments.
You'll enjoy it very much.
There will be an extra Betty MacDonald fan club article describing the new Betty MacDonald fan club treasure.
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel and Betty MacDonald fan club research team are going to include all these new details and info in updated Betty MacDonald biography.
More info in Betty MacDonald fan club newsletter June.
New Betty MacDonald documentary will be very interesting with many interviews never published before.
Great news!
Betty MacDonald fan club fan club got many new fans from all over the world including Australia.
Welcome dearest Betty MacDonald fan club fans!
How is Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli doing?
I hope he is fond of a 'Grande Amore'.
Enjoy a delightful breakfast at the bookstore with Brad and Nick.
Best wishes,
Rob, Selma, Anita and Eartha Kitt II
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald forum
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and many new Betty MacDonald fan club fans
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle - and Betty MacDonald fan club fans,
don't miss new Betty MacDonald fan club contest, please.
As a real Betty MacDonald fan club fan you can answer this question very easily.
In which book Betty MacDonald did describe her 'adopted' sister Madge?
In case you know the persons ( see great colour photo ) you can win a special Betty MacDonald fan club bonus item.
Send your answer please and if you are lucky enough you are our next Betty MacDonald fan club contest winner.
Deadline: May 31, 2015
Imagine to read the exciting experiences of Betty MacDonald and Claudette Colbert in Hollywood.
There is also a letter by Betty MacDonald's sister unique sister Mary Bard Jensen with some very witty thoughts and comments.
You'll enjoy it very much.
There will be an extra Betty MacDonald fan club article describing the new Betty MacDonald fan club treasure.
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel and Betty MacDonald fan club research team are going to include all these new details and info in updated Betty MacDonald biography.
More info in Betty MacDonald fan club newsletter June.
New Betty MacDonald documentary will be very interesting with many interviews never published before.
Great news!
Betty MacDonald fan club fan club got many new fans from all over the world including Australia.
Welcome dearest Betty MacDonald fan club fans!
How is Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli doing?
I hope he is fond of a 'Grande Amore'.
Enjoy a delightful very new breakfast at the bookstore with Brad and Nick.
All our love,
Rob & Selma
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald forum
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
Monday, May 25, 2015
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and Betty MacDonald fan club book cover contest
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle - and Betty MacDonald fan club fans,
i can offer a signed first edition with an excellent dust jacket of Betty MacDonald's delightful 'Nancy and Plum'.
In case you are interested send a mail to Linde Lund.
Betty MacDonald fan club book cover contest in June is a great idea and I'm going to share many international book covers from all over the world.
Join current Betty MacDonald fan club contest, please.
Deadline: May 31, 2015
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel hadn't been in Vienna but he'll be back with many new info in Betty MacDonald fan club newsletter June.
New Betty MacDonald documentary will be very interesting with many new interviews.
Enjoy a delightful very new breakfast at the bookstore with Brad and Nick.
Take care,
Mats
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald forum
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and new Betty MacDonald fan club fans from Australia
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle - and Betty MacDonald fan club fans,
i've read that some Betty MacDonald book collectors are looking for International book editions of Betty MacDonald's wonderful book 'Nancy and Plum'.
I can offer some of my International editions of this wounderful book by Betty MacDonald.
You'll find my contact info in Betty MacDonald fan club newsletter June.
Great news regarding new Betty MacDonald fan club book cover contest in June.
Don't miss current Betty MacDonald fan club contest, please.
Only a few days are left.
I was rather sad that Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel and Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund didn't join us in Vienna.
We had lots of fun there.
There will be an outstanding Betty MacDonald fan club ESC DVD in June.
By the way we got several new Betty MacDonald fan club fans
especially from Australia.
New Betty MacDonald documentary will be very interesting with many new interviews.
Enjoy a delightful very new breakfast at the bookstore with Brad and Nick.
Have a very nice Sunday,
Martin
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald forum
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
Friday, May 22, 2015
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Betty MacDonald and International book editions
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle - and Betty MacDonald fan club fans,
some Betty MacDonald book collectors are looking for international book editions of Betty MacDonald's wonderful book 'Nancy and Plum'.
You can see the cover of the German edition of Nancy and Plum 'Hand in Hand der Sonne nach'.
I adore the beautiful cover and the illustrations very much.
A real Betty MacDonald treasure!
If you have any copies to offer let us know, please.
We are going to have a Betty MacDonald fan club book cover contest in June.
We are looking for the most beautiful Betty MacDonald book cover.
More info soon!
Don't miss current Betty MacDonald fan club contest, please.
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel , Anita, Eartha Kitt II and their Betty MacDonald fan club research team are going to share their outstanding Betty MacDonald fan club research results.
New Betty MacDonald documentary will be very interesting with many new interviews.
Enjoy a delightful very new breakfast at the bookstore with Brad and Nick.
Take care,
Julia
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald forum
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and Betty MacDonald in colour
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle - and Betty MacDonald fan club fans,
don't miss new Betty MacDonald fan club contest, please.
You are a real Betty MacDonald fan club fan and can answer this question very easily.
In which book Betty MacDonald described her 'adopted' sister Madge?
In case you know the persons on this great colour photo you can win a special Betty MacDonald fan club bonus item.
Send your answer please and if you are lucky enough you are our next Betty MacDonald fan club contest winner.
Deadline: May 31, 2015
Imagine to read the exciting experiences of Betty MacDonald and Claudette Colbert in Hollywood.
There is also a letter by Betty MacDonald's sister unique sister Mary Bard Jensen with some very witty thoughts and comments.
You'll enjoy it very much.
There will be an extra Betty MacDonald fan club article describing the new Betty MacDonald fan club treasure.
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel and Betty MacDonald fan club research team are going to include all these new details and info in updated Betty MacDonald biography.
More info in Betty MacDonald fan club newsletter May.
New Betty MacDonald documentary will be very interesting with many new interviews.
Enjoy a delightful very new breakfast at the bookstore with Brad and Nick.
Rob
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald forum
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and new Betty MacDonald fan club contest
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle - and Betty MacDonald fan club fans,
you can win the new Betty MacDonald fan club treasure!
You only have to answer this question:
In which book Betty MacDonald described her 'adopted' sister Madge?
Send your answer please and if you are lucky enough you are our next Betty MacDonald fan club contest winner.
Deadline: May 31, 2015
Imagine to read the exciting experiences of Betty MacDonald and Claudette Colbert in Hollywood.
There is also a letter by Betty MacDonald's sister unique sister Mary Bard Jensen with some very witty thoughts and comments.
You'll enjoy it very much.
There will be an extra Betty MacDonald fan club article describing the new Betty MacDonald fan club treasure.
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel and Betty MacDonald fan club research team are going to include all these new details and info in updated Betty MacDonald biography.
More info in Betty MacDonald fan club newsletter May.
New Betty MacDonald documentary will be very interesting with many new interviews.
Enjoy a very new breakfast at the bookstore with Brad and Nick.
Lisa
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald forum
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and Betty MacDonald's experiences in Hollywood
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle - and Betty MacDonald fan club fans,
Betty MacDonald fan club newsletter May includes very interesting info on Betty MacDonald and Claudette Colbert.
Greta and her Betty MacDonald fan club research team are going to share their recent research results.
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel and Betty MacDonald fan club research team are going to include all these new details and info in updated Betty MacDonald biography.
More info in Betty MacDonald fan club newsletter May.
New Betty MacDonald documentary will be very interesting with many new interviews.
Enjoy a new breakfast at the bookstore with Brad and Nick.
Wishing you a very nice Thursday,
Emil
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald forum
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
Betty MacDonald fan club newsletter May includes very interesting info on Betty MacDonald and Claudette Colbert.
Greta and her Betty MacDonald fan club research team are going to share their recent research results.
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel and Betty MacDonald fan club research team are going to include all these new details and info in updated Betty MacDonald biography.
More info in Betty MacDonald fan club newsletter May.
New Betty MacDonald documentary will be very interesting with many new interviews.
Enjoy a new breakfast at the bookstore with Brad and Nick.
Wishing you a very nice Thursday,
Emil
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald forum
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and Darsie Burbank
Darsie obediently got up, took the sugar bowl and went out to the kitchen. After a long long time he came back to the breakfast table with a plate of cinnamon rolls.
"What are these for?" his father said. "And where is the sugar?"
"Sugar?" said Darsie. "What about sugar?"
"I told you to fill the sugar bowl," said Mrs. Burbank.
"Oh," said Darsie, "I thought you said, 'Get the cinnamon roll.'"
Betty MacDonald fan club fans,
we are so grateful and happy because of having such outstanding Betty MacDonald Fan Club Honour Members.
Happy Birthday dearest Darsie Beck!
Darsie Beck is Alison Bard Burnett' s son, Betty MacDonald's and Mary Bard Jensen's nephew.
It's not a surprise at all that Darsie Beck's Auntie Betty MacDonald was crazy about him.
You only have to read Darsie Beck's childhood memories on Vashon Island, published on Betty MacDonald Fan Club Website.
What a gifted personality!
An outstanding writer and artist!
After you' ve read Darsie Beck's book you know what really important in life is.
Thank you so much, dear Darsie Beck!
Betty MacDonald got a very good taste.
Yours,
Francesca
Artist and author Darsie Beck gave us the permission to share a special gift with you, his childhood memories of Vashon Island.
It's beautifully written and a real treasure.
Childhood memories of Vashon Island 1943-53
Copyright by Darsie Beck
All rights reserved
I've always been fascinated by the ferry boats that serve the island and Olympic Peninsula communities of Puget Sound. I feel particularly fortunate to have spent my first ten years and the last thirty years here on Vashon Island and the in between years living in water front homes near the Fauntleroy ferry dock and on the north end of Mercer Island near the old ferry landing that once served that island community.
I have many fond memories of the ferry boats but one in particular remains as clear to me today as when it occurred many years ago.
At the time I was born, my parents lived with my grandparents in a small house on Judkins street just east of 23rd, a few blocks south of the Lake Washington floating bridge tunnels. This area, at the time, was the northern most end of what was called, "Garlic Gulch", the original Italian community in Seattle. With a new baby in the house things got pretty crowded and before long my parents moved to Vashon Island where they purchased their first home on the bluff above Dolphin Point on the north end of the island. My mother's sister Betty MacDonald, her husband Don and her two daughters Anne and Joan had moved to the island a couple years before prompting my parents to follow their lead to this island community.
In the 1940's as now, we reached the island by ferry boat. I can't tell you what that first ferry ride was like in the fall of 1943 or which boat we rode on but I do know, the boats were privately operated by Puget Sound Navigation (PSN), doing business as the Black Ball Line.
Black Ball provided service between Vashon Island, Harper (on the Olympic Peninsula) and Fauntleroy (West Seattle). During the 1940's the wooden ferries Vashon and Kehloken and the steel electric Quinault saw regular service on this run. The Quinault carried 100 cars compared to the 45 car capacity of the smaller wooden ferries and was considered a super ferry at the time. Most of the ferries flying the Black Ball burgee were former San Francisco Bay boats purchased by PSN after the completion of the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges.
In early 1948, a proposed rate increase by PSN resulted in Vashon Island suspending its service contract with Black Ball. Undeterred by Vashon's action, Black Ball continued service between Harper and Fauntleroy and to Vashon on an "as needed only" basis. With the help of sympathetic state and local government agencies Vashon began developing its own ferry service utilizing former Lake Washington and Tacoma boats out of service since the opening of the Lake Washington floating bridge and the Tacoma Narrows bridge. The Lincoln, Washington, City of Tacoma and Crosline became the backbone of the new fleet.
My first ferry boat recollection is from the summer of 1948. I was five years old, my mother was pregnant with my sister, and we were sitting in the family car on the Vashon ferry dock on a very foggy July morning waiting for the boat to Fauntleroy to take my mother to the hospital.
The fog had created a stillness over the dock broken every few minutes by the sounding of fog horns and the occasional car driving on and off the wood planked ferry dock. Soon I heard the sound of an approaching ferry, its engines reversing, its prop wash splashing noisily between the pilings, the shrill screech of the ferries wood side rails rubbing against creosote dolphins and apron wing walls as the boat nudged itself into the slip. Chains clattered as deck hands removed car barriers in preparation of off loading. I don't remember which of the old ferries landed at the Vashon dock that foggy morning but I do remember, once our car was loaded onto the boat, sitting on the car deck, looking out the port into the fog when suddenly out of the mist a large ferry appeared. Its propellers furiously reversing, deck hands and passengers on both boats bracing for an impending collision. My eyes grew big and my body grew tense as the huge ferry cleared the fog revealing her black hull, white superstructure and the black ball painted near the top of her red stack. It was the Quinault, Puget Sound's first super ferry heading directly for our boat. The prop wash of the huge ferry was buffeting the side of our boat, causing it to rock back and forth in its slip. The Quinault was now within a car's length of our boat when its forward motion finally came to rest and her reversing action began to move the boat out of harms way. As stealthy as she had appeared, she now disappeared back into the fog sending a collective and audible sigh of relief through passengers and crew of both boats.
The Quinault, now considered a medium sized boat compared to today's super ferries, still ply's the waters of Puget Sound and still holds a place in my childhood memories as the most enormous boat ever seen by a five year old.
Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Darsie Beck
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald forum
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
Monday, May 11, 2015
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and Betty MacDonald's very witty sister Alison Bard Burnett
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle - and Betty MacDonald fan club fans,
this is a photo of Betty MacDonald's very witty sister Alison Bard Burnett.
You can order our new Betty MacDonald and Alison Bard Burnett CD and DVD!
DVD and CD are different. You can see Betty MacDonald, her sister Alison Bard Burnett and other family members and friends in front of the camera for the first time!
We can offer you new wonderful Betty MacDonald Fan Club Items and a new Betty MacDonald and Alison Bard Burnett CD and DVD. More exciting news about Betty MacDonald's filmed interview will come soon.
Anne Elizabeth Campbell Bard was born March 26, 1907 in Boulder, Colorado, the second child of Sydney and Darsie Bard. Betsy and her three sisters and brother had an adventurous, somewhat unconventional childhood owing to the strong and creative personalities of their parents and Darsie's mother, "Gammy," and the many lessons in independence they survived gracefully. ( see story Betty and Gammy written by Wolfgang Hampel published by Betty MacDonald Fan Club and Interviews with Betty MacDonald and her sister Alison Bard published on CD/DVD . The interviews on CD and DVD are different ones )
When Betsy was 12 her father died of pneumonia, but the family's strong relationships and optimism remained intact through this sorrow and the ensuing financial trials.
Betsy (who later preferred the nickname Betty) said that for the Bard children, there were really only two household rules: "We were expected to be polite and to tell the truth, no matter how appalling. "Apart from that, the Bard children did as they pleased and went forth into the world with well-defined personalities, acutely-developed senses of humor and adventure, and a remarkable zest for life.
Betty married at 20 and went to live on a chicken ranch in the Olympic mountains. Her experiences there are chronicled in her first book, The Egg and I . ( see books The Kettles' Million Dollar Egg, The Egg and Betty, The Tragic end of Robert Eugene Heskett by Wolfgang Hampel published by BMC)
Life in such isolation and hardship palled after 4 years and she returned with her two small daughters to her Seattle family just as the Depression hit. The amazing stories of their survival and triumph are related in Anybody Can Do Anything. Betty and her family had a wonderful friend who supported them during this very difficult time.
( see Betty and Mike by Wolfgang Hampel published by BMC 2009 and Wolfgang Hampel's interview with Alison Bard published by BMC )
Alison Bard tells some delightful treasure stories about this wonderful friend.
But Betty's career as a businesswoman was cut short when she contracted pulmonary tuberculosis and entered Firlands, an endowed sanitorium north of Seattle. Lying flat on one's back for 8 1/2 months doesn't seem the stuff of which humor can be made, but Betty did indeed spin gold out of straw, in The Plague and I.
( see Betty MacDonald's illness written by Wolfgang Hampel and published by BMC and comments of Betty MacDonald's family and friends incl. Betty MacDonald's wonderful friend Kimi )
After her recovery, Betty married Donald MacDonald and they moved their family to Vashon Island, leading an idyllic and interesting existence as portrayed in Onions in the Stew. While on Vashon Betty also wrote her works for children: the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series and Nancy and Plum.
Betty and her husband bought a ranch near Carmel, but illness forced her to move back to Seattle. She died of cancer at the age of 50 on February 7, 1958. ( see Betty MacDonald's illness by Wolfgang Hampel, published by BMC and Wolfgang Hampel's interview with Alison Bard, published by BMC )
Why is Betty's writing so beloved among so many people all over the world? The first and most obvious reason is that it's hilarious - sharp, sometimes irreverent. vivid and unexpected. Betty manages to find humor everywhere: on the early morning streetcar, in a hospital ward, in a home with two cranky adolescents, in job situations from farm work to secretarial duties. To read Betty's writing is to laugh -- often out loud, in public places, whether you want to or not. She has a terrific eye for the absurd and can paint a striking and side-splitting word picture in a few succinct strokes.
But Betty fans also love her optimism, her strength, her intense love for her family, her times of self-doubt, and the zest with which she approaches all of life and relishes simple pleasures.( see many comments of Betty MacDonald Fans in books, stories and interviews with Betty MacDonald's family and friends published by BMC )
Betty's indomitable sister Mary Bard, whom we encounter in all four books but meet most vividly in Anybody Can Do Anything, also went on to write (her first book is dedicated to Betty, "Who Egged Me On"). Mary's books, The Doctor Wears Three Faces, Forty-Odd, Just Be Yourself, and the children's series Best Friends, are also much beloved by Betty fans who find themselves quickly becoming Mary fans as well. ( see Wolfgang Hampel's interviews with Alison Bard. She tells the most interesting stories about Mary, Betty and the Bard family. )
The CD and DVD interviews are different ones.
For more info send a mail to lindelund2000@yahoo.com.
Thank you so much for your support and interest!
Dagmar
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald forum
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Fan Club Mother's Day Surprise
Dear mothers from all over the world,
Thank you so much for all your love and great work in the families.
Betty MacDonald and her mother Sydney Bard are unforgettable mothers.
Can you remember what Betty wrote about Sydney in Onions in the Stew?
If you are a mother send me the answer, please.
You'll hear from me very soon.
We have a special Betty MacDonald Mother's Day Surprise for you.
Wolfgang Hampel, author of the Betty MacDonald Biography interviewed Betty MacDonald's family and friends. We are going to publish new interviews on CD and DVD.
Wishing you a wonderful Mother's Day,
Lena
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald forum
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
Betty MacDonald with daughters Anne ( left ) and Joan in 1946
Monday, May 4, 2015
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and new Betty MacDonald DVD
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle - and Betty MacDonald fan club fans,
thank you so much for sharing the info on World Laughter Day.
As Betty MacDonald fans we have a great sense of humor.
I'd say I don't need a World Laughter Day.
I'm laughing every day at least I try to do it......
We can't wait to see the new Betty MacDonald fan club treasure.
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel and Betty MacDonald fan club research team are working on a new Betty MacDonald fan club DVD entitled 'Laughing with Betty MacDonald'.
More info in Betty MacDonald fan club newsletter May.
New Betty MacDonald documentary will be very interesting with many new interviews.
Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli is working on a new surprise.
What kind of a surprise is it? A new girl friend?
We miss our Casanova very much.
Mr. Tigerli is very aware of the fact how many fans would like to visit him in his paradise but if they would do so it wouldn't be a paradise for him.
We shouldn't forget how very smart our beloved Mr. Tigerli is.
Take care,
Martin
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald forum
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Betty MacDonald and World Laughter Day
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle - and Betty MacDonald fan club fans,
it's World Laughter Day today.
Don't forget to laugh every day.
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel and Betty MacDonald fan club research team are working on a new Betty MacDonald fan club DVD entitled 'Laughing with Betty MacDonald'.
More info in Betty MacDonald fan club newsletter May.
New Betty MacDonald documentary will be very interesting with many new interviews.
Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli is working on a new Betty MacDonald surprise.
There are so many fans who would like to visit Mr. Tigerli but he seems to be very private.
Have a nice Sunday,
Nick
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald forum
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and Wolfgang Hampel's new interviews
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle - and Betty MacDonald fan club fans,
Betty MacDonald - and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle fan club contest is over.
Who is the winner of Betty MacDonald fan club contest?
Congratulations dearest Diana.
Diana is the winner of several new Betty MacDonald fan club bonus items and an outstanding Betty MacDonald fan club treasure by one of our best Betty MacDonald fan club research teams - Anita and Eartha Kitt II
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel interviewed Darsie Beck and Mary Bard Jensen's family during his Betty MacDonald research.
We hope to publish these great interviews in 2015.
Enjoy a new daily dose.
We are going to share more info on Vashon Island Garden Tour 2015 on Sunday.
Have a nice Saturday,
Manuel
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald forum
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
Friday, May 1, 2015
Betty MacDonald, Darsie Beck and Mary Bard Jensen's daughters
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle - and Betty MacDonald fan club fans,
Betty MacDonald - and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle fan club contest is over.
We got many, many mails but several of them were wrong.
The names of Betty MacDonald's and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's birthday guests are Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Darsie Beck and Mary Bard Jensen's daughters Mari, Salli and Heidi.
Who is the winner of Betty MacDonald fan club contest?
More info are coming soon.
The winner is going to get several new Betty MacDonald fan club bonus items and an outstanding Betty MacDonald fan club treasure by one of our best Betty MacDonald fan club research teams - Anita and Eartha Kitt II
Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Darsie Beck is an outstanding artist.
Darsie Beck's artwork is magical.
Betty MacDonald would be very proud of her favourite nephew.
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel interviewed Darsie Beck during his Betty MacDonald research.
We hope to publish this great interview in 2015.
Enjoy a new daily dose.
Wishing you a very nice May,
Lona
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald forum
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
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